Conveyor

Abstract

A conveyor assembly 18 that detects bags that leak. The assembly 18 includes a first conveyor 24 that operates in unison with a second conveyor 29 . The conveyors 24 and 29 confine the bags in chambers, with the bags being engaged by pressure assemblies 50 so that the bags that leak are reduced in volume. The bags are engaged at a downstream position and at an upstream position by detection devices 44 that provide a signal indicative of the volume of each bag. These signals are compared to thereby identify bags that leak.

1. A conveyor assembly to move items along a predetermined path, said conveyor assembly including:
 a first conveyor length extending parallel to said path and being provided to substantially rigidly support the items in contact with said first length; and  
 a second conveyor length to be moved in unison with the first conveyor length and being substantially coextensive with respect thereto, and wherein said second conveyor length is substantially inflexible except for deformation about an axis transverse of said path so that said second length is deformed to form compartments to accommodate any of the items located between the first and second lengths by deformation of the second length.  
 
   
   
     2. The conveyor of  claim 1  wherein said assembly includes:
 a first conveyor having said first length;  
 a support for said first length so that the first length substantially rigidly supports the items with said second length being above said first length;  
 a second conveyor having said second length; and wherein  
 one of the conveyors has a first endless member and a second endless member transversely spaced from the first member.  
 
   
   
     3. The conveyor of  claim 2  wherein the first and second members provide said first conveyor, with the conveyor members being generally parallel along said first length with their transverse spacing forming a gap, to provide access to items located between the first and second lengths, and said support has a longitudinal slot adjacent said gap to also provide access to the items. 
   
   
     4. The conveyor of  claim 3  wherein said assembly is adapted to convey bags, with said assembly including a detection device to protrude between the first and second members to engage the bags located between the first and second lengths to apply pressure thereto and to determine a change in the volume of the bag to thereby detect bags with leaks. 
   
   
     5. The conveyor of  claim 1  wherein said assembly is adapted to convey bags, with said assembly further including a detection device to engage said second length to apply pressure to bags located between the first and second lengths and to detect a change in volume of the bags to thereby detect bags that leak. 
   
   
     6. The conveyor of  claim 1  wherein said assembly includes first and second belts, said first and second belts being positioned on opposite sides of said first length to engage said first length so as to maintain said first length stationary with respect to said second length. 
   
   
     7. A combination to detect leaks in bags, said combination including:
 a conveyor assembly that receives the bags so that the bags are located at spaced locations along the conveyor assembly, the conveyor assembly providing two conveyor lengths that are coextensive and between which the bags are located so that each bag is located in a compartment defined between the lengths, each compartment having a configuration, and a retaining assembly associated with a first one of the lengths so as to maintain the configuration of the compartments provided by the lengths;  
 a pressure assembly to engage the bags within the compartments to apply pressure thereto so that bags that leak are reduced in volume;  
 a detector located downstream of the pressure assembly to engage each bag in its respective compartment and to provide a signal indicative of the volume of each bag engaged; and  
 a detector located upstream of said pressure assembly to engage each bag in its respective compartment and generate a signal indicative of the volume thereof so that bags that leak can be detected by comparing the signals generated by the detectors in respect of each bag.  
 
   
   
     8. The combination of  claim 7  wherein the first length is provided by a first conveyor and said second length is provided by a second conveyor, with one of the conveyors including coextensive transversely spaced first and second endless members, and each detector includes a projection that projects between the endless members to engage the bags. 
   
   
     9. The combination of  claim 8  wherein and said pressure assembly includes at least one projection that projects between the endless members to engage the bags to apply pressure thereto. 
   
   
     10. The combination of  claim 9  wherein the first and second members provide said first conveyor, with the conveyor members being generally parallel along said first length with their transverse spacing forming a gap, to provide access to bags located between the first and second lengths, and said support has a longitudinal slot adjacent said gap to also provide access to the bags. 
   
   
     11. The combination of  claim 10  wherein each detector protrudes between the first and second members to engage the bags located between the first and second lengths to apply pressure thereto and to determine a change in the volume of the bag to thereby detect bags with leaks. 
   
   
     12. The conveyor of  claim 11  wherein the retaining assembly includes first and second belts, said first and second belts being positioned on opposite sides of said first length to engage said first length so as to maintain said first length stationary with respect to said second length. 
   
   
     13. A combination to detect leaks in bags, said combination including:
 a the conveyor assembly of  claim 1  that receives the bags so that the bags are located at spaced locations along the conveyor assembly, said assembly having opposing surfaces between which the bags are located so that the bags are confined; and  
 a detector device that engages each bag at a downstream location and an upstream location so as to generate signals indicative of the volume of each bag at each location; and  
 a pressure device to apply pressure to the bags as they pass between the upstream and downstream occasions locations so that bags that leak will have a reduced volume by the time they reach said upstream location so that the signals generated in respect of each bag can be compared to thereby identify bags that have been reduced in volume as a result of the pressure being applied thereto.  
 
   
   
     14. A combination to detect leaks in bags, the combination including the conveyor assembly of  claim 1  adapted to receive bags so that the bags are located at spaced locations along the conveyor assembly, the conveyor assembly having a downstream location and an upstream location between which the bags are conveyed, and wherein said combination further includes:
 a pressure device to apply pressure to the bags as they pass between the upstream and downstream location so that bags that leak will have a reduced volume by the time they reach the upstream location; and  
 a detector device that engages each bag at the downstream location and the upstream location so as to generate signals indicative of the volume of each bag at each location to thereby enable identification of bags that have a reduced volume as a result of pressure being applied thereto.  
 
   
   
     15. The combination of  claim 14  wherein said pressure applying device applies pressure to said second conveyor length to thereby apply pressure to the bags. 
   
   
     16. The combination of  claim 14  wherein said detector device engages said second conveyor to detect a reduced volume in any one of the bags. 
   
   
     17. The combination of  claim 16  wherein said pressure device incorporates said detector device. 
   
   
     18. A method of detecting bags that leak, said method including the steps of:
 locating a plurality of bags, each having a volume, on a conveyor assembly that substantially encloses the bags each in a respective compartment, each compartment having a configuration that is maintained over a length of the conveyor assembly;  
 engaging each bag at a downstream location of said length with a detector device that generates a signal indicative of the volume of the bag engaged;  
 applying pressure to the bags upstream of said downstream detector; and  
 engaging each bag at an upstream location of said length, with said detector device to generate a signal indicative of the volume of each bag engaged so that the signals generated, as a result of engagement of the bags at the locations, in respect of each bag can be compared to identify the bags that have been reduced in volume as a result of the pressure being applied thereto.  
 
   
   
     19. The method of  claim 18  wherein the conveyor assembly includes a first conveyor length and a second conveyor length between which the bags are located, with said second conveyor length being deformed to form said compartments and moving in unison with the first conveyor length. 
   
   
     20. The method of  claim 19  wherein said second conveyor length is located above said first conveyor length. 
   
   
     21. The method of  claim 18  wherein the detector device includes a downstream detector and an upstream detector. 
   
   
     22. The method of  claim 21  wherein the configuration of the compartments is maintained between the detectors.